What a ball to drive!

I have been an avid sports car fan for quite some time, owning a Nissan 300 ZX as well as a Mitsubishi 3000 GT VR4. After driving a Jeep Wrangler for a couple years, I had a craving for a sports car again.

So, after months of research and road tests, my wife and I decided to make the plunge and get a 2-seat convertible before kids become a factor. Besides the MR2 Spyder, we also tested the BMW Z3, Mercedes SLK 230, Mazda Miata, and Honda S2000.

I am over 6 foot, so the Miata did not work for me (way too small). The others were priced in the 33k to 40k range, so by comparison, the MR2 is inexpensive (at 25k). After driving them all and looking at price, the MR2 was the clear winner.

It took us about 2 months to find one. Only 5000 are imported a year, so dealers will try to tack on 2k - 5k above sticker. We eventually found a dealer that would sell the car to us at sticker. We ended up with the red with black top, and it looks really sharp. We opted to wait for the 2001 because it added remote keyless entry (purchased on 10/2000).

The ups:
1. It is a blast to drive and handles perfectly.
2. It has adequate power.
3. Insurance is reasonable.
4. Convertible top operation is very easy.
5. All options are included - no packages necessary.
6. Great styling.

The downs:
1. Barely any storage space.
2. No cruise control.
3. A six-speed gearbox would have been better.
4. They are hard to find.

Interior:
The interior is very comfortable even for a taller person. The seats have good support. All of the displays are laid out well and are easy to operate. Some very nice touches inside make the interior quite pleasing.

Exterior:
It looks like a lot like the Porsche Boxster.

The top:
The convertible top folds over on top of itself, locks securely into place, and makes its own toneau cover.